1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for decontaminizing Army vehicles which have been covered by a toxic agent as by an enemy attack during warfare, e.g. through the use of a jet engine exhaust plume to bring the vehicle surface to the desired decontamination temperature to destroy the chemical composition of the toxic agent by burning, e.g., so it cannot harm humans.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is considered necessary under certain circumstances to be able to provide optimum decontamination of Army vehicles. It takes a different amount of Calories to heat each particular spot on the vehicle to the same decontamination temperature (set number of degrees) for decontaminating a (particular) toxic agent. Since certain spots have different shapes, thicknesses, materials, sharp points, etc., they would all require different amounts of heat, or time, to assure they have been heated to the proper temperature. It is possible to survey, vehicle by vehicle, all the important spots and construct a temperature profile for vehicle. The inventor instead proposes a closed loop system for automatically heating each spot to the set temperature, sensing the reaching of the temperature, and automatically moving on to the next spot and so forth until the entire vehicle is done. The proposed art of decontamination of Army vehicles is being perfected by running simulant tests on each type, model and style of Army vehicles. They have used thermal couples, temperature dots (temperature dots turn black when temperature of dot is reached) and radiation thermometers to check the temperature of the vehicle. The hot engine exhaust is played onto the vehicle at different speeds to perfect the optimum time-temperature profile. However, they are considered to have problems and limitations. For example, in order to determine when the vehicle surface is decontaminated, temperature and time profiles must be run on each type, model and style of vehicle. Operators will have to be trained to conform with the time vs. temperatures developed in the testing of the different types, models and styles of vehicles. The IR radiation thermometer is now being used to find out the time and temperature profiles in some of their tests.
Among the difficulties associated with a heat treatment decontamination system, is the difficulty of determining when the surface being treated reaches the desired temperature. Not only do different vehicles have different contours, but also they are constructed of different materials and consequently exhibit differences in their thermal properties, such as conductance. It would appear that time and temperature profiles would have to be developed for at least each type of vehicle and perhaps for individual vehicles within a class. Operator skills would vary resulting in varying decontamination of vehicles.